To be freaking out about emergency C-sections - help! Will a planned c section might be best?

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I swear, every time I turn around, another friend is telling me about their emergency C-section. It's like everyone I know who's a first-time mom ends up in the operating room!

I'm starting to wonder if I should just ask for a planned C-section from the get-go (I have a family member who is a midwife so appreciate no guarantees unless I go private ). The thought of things going sideways during labor and ending up with an emergency procedure is freaking me out. At least with a planned C-section, everyone's calm and prepared, right?

But then again, I know C-sections come with their own set of risks. Ugh, why is this so complicated?

At the very least if no c section I know I will need an epidural, I just don't want extreme pain and trauma if I can somewhat try to avoid it. Again, I appreciate no guarantees but I'm willing to try.

I'd love to hear from you all. Did any of you end up with an emergency C-section as a first-time mom? If you've had both planned and emergency C-sections, how different were they?

Lots of births don’t end with an emergency section .. mine didn’t.

There is a school of thought that says Epidurals can increase the need for a section

Do what’s right for you. You don’t have to justify wanting an elective section

If you have no complications I’d try for a natural birth.

my first was a natural birth. It was much easier to recover from than my C-Section (emergency section, before I’d gone into labour, I had complications).

@OrwellianTimes did you have any pain relief? I really, really do not want extreme pain as if I'm dying which is how many describe it.

Call me pathetic, a house, not a real woman or whatever else stereotype exists lol I don't care. I honestly feel I'd rather long term pain of c section recovery than short term labour pain although I'd like other thoughts from experience too.

How painful was your natural birth? Also worried about splitting and I have vaginal thrush problems dry vagina years, I really don't want anything messing with that anymore

My natural births weren't too painful, and I am a proper wimp, and both mine were
9pounds +. I used TENs, a water birth and some gas and air. Yes of course it's painful, but it's manageable. It is different for everyone, so it's best to keep an open mind

I've had both.

At least with a planned C-section, everyone's calm and prepared, right?
You are awake for a planned. With the emergency you could be under GA (I was) and therefore I have no idea if everyone was calm. I know I was 😂 Tbh I cant remember the emergency because it was very sudden, all hands on deck type thing, and by the time I understood what was happening I was counting backwards. The planned had me fretting all morning as you go in before 8am and wait until your slot, and pray there are no emergencies that push yours further back. I was in at 7.30am and had op at 1pm, no food, no distractions, just clock watching. Don't fear the emergency Csection if you want to try natural birth first, it probably won't happen.

I had an emergency CS with baby number 3. I was awake. It's not always GA.

Worth bearing in mind that “emergency” is every c-section that isn’t an elective procedure, so it often just means “unplanned” and isn’t an actual emergency. Most staff are calm in all but the most urgent/dire circumstances. It is their job after all.

I had a planned c section and it was the best birth experience I could have asked for. Everyone was calm, happy and reassuring. The operation itself was fine and I was back up walking six hours later. I didn't have any issues with recovery, I just took alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen and took things slow (although I was doing stairs two days post-op no problem and walking with the pram a week later).

My friends who have had both emergency and planned c sections have raved about how much better the planned one was and how much easier recovery was, even factoring in that they had a toddler to look after.

The vast majority of bad birth stories or bad recoveries from people I know are “uncomplicated” vaginal birth ones 🤷‍♀️

Natural birth I had a tens machine which distracted me for a bit. I had gas & air during birth and stitches. I had a 3rd degree tear which was sore for a few weeks, uncomfortable for a couple months maybe but nothing longer than that. Birth hurt, like pooing a watermelon hurt. But it wasn’t that bad.

C-Section obviously I had anaesthetic- general because of blood loss. I was in intense pain after. The worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life (and I’ve had broken bones and extremely painful conditions). I was on very high doses of opiates for two months. I was in agony for about 6 months. Intense pain around the incision site for 6 years. I could barely walk for 3 months.

I have adhesions and permanent pain at the incision site (better after physio but still there). I now have adenomyosis which can be caused by c-sections. NO ONE talks about the long term pain after c-sections, but I know at least 8 of my friends have similar.

If I had another I personally would do everything I could to avoid a section unless there were very real reasons not to.

I've had two vaginal births. First one was long and at times I felt pressured to have an emergency c-section but I resisted as it was unnecessary. I had gas and air first time around. It was hard going. Second time I didn't have anything, it was very quick, intense pressure but manageable with breathing. It was amazing!

Honestly, it didn't hurt that much at all. I had no pain relief and it was really easy. Every birth is different but some are like mine. Recovery from a natural birth is usually faster eg I was in the super market within 24 hours and went on the bus the following day

I’ve had three children and my only emergency c-section was my third.
My first two were vaginal births, epidural for the first and nothing for the second (though not because I didn’t want it, but because she wasn’t hanging around so there was no time! 😂)

I had an emergency c-section and everyone was really calm. It was nice in a way, I didn't have time to worry about it and I was even excited because I knew I was going to meet the baby right away and I was feeling calm and alert. From the decision to the time the baby was born was something like 30 mins.

So an emergency C-section can be positive as well.

I'm having a planned C-section this time and am a actually a little nervous about it! Mainly the passive waiting for my turn rather than actively progressing though labour.

I had a planned c section. You'll still be in pain but you're just delaying the suffering for after the birth. And if you want to breastfeed, it's so much harder. It took 5 days for my milk to come in which is within normal timescale and it's a nightmare.

The problem with emergency c section is by that point you've been in labour for a while so it's the worst of all worlds.

I had a planned c section. It was great. A bit scary doing the prep, but overall just brilliant. I met my baby about 10 minutes after the operation began - just imagine how magical that is!
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I tried to do all the advice re: post op recovery and I was happy with it. I needed paracetamol and ibuprofen for a while afterwards. But I tried to keep active and felt I recovered quickly. I ran a 10k shortly after my baby turned 1, which I was super chuffed with. It made me feel that I'd recovered well longterm as well as short term.

I was 35 when I had the section if that's relevant to you as well.

I had an emergency c section first time - lots of pushing but no baby. Everyone was calm tho, more “well this baby isn’t coming out any other way”. Was then given an epidural for the c section.

Baby 2 was elective c section again by epidural as it was declared that my pelvis was too narrow. Also very calm.

The main difference for me was the recovery - I recovered a lot faster from the elective, probably cos I hadn’t been up all night in labour followed by a day in hospital trying to push out baby 1!

I also had a massive phobia of giving birth so I spent the first pregnancy really anxious and ensured my birth plan focused on any pain relief available. I thought I was the only one with such a phobia… quite surprising I even went ahead with a pregnancy.

Really depends. Cat 1 C sections where baby has to come out pretty quickly are about 3% of births (according to a quick google) and Cat 2 where baby has to be out in a few hours the other 15% or so of EMCS.

I had a Cat 2 and it felt pretty calm. Wheeled in and they introduce you to everyone. There are lots of people which is a bit of a shock. Only useful bit of nct was being told not to look at the reflective light!
Actual c section completely fine- I didn'y feel a thing and recovery good. Labour before a bit hideous due to a failed induction.

I'm opting for elective next time as I would be likely to be induced again and it was a total ballache.

But you are more likely to have a natural birth than a EMCS (17 in 100 births are EMCS) and then subsequent births are often really quick (I'm quite jealous- I never dilated properly so I'd be at square one if went for VBAC). Unless you are likely to be induced really early or you have another medical reason then I'd go for natural birth.

If you do have an EMCS it's really not the end of the world and is unlikely to be really frantic.

I would massively, massively recommend doing a hypnobirthing course. The name makes it sound really woo but it's really all about feeling calm and relaxed during labour and not panicking. Some people (including a friend of mine) said it made her birth virtually painless. Personally I didn't find it made the birth painless, but it did make the pain very manageable. You can still get an epidural if you're doing hypnobirthing, because, as I said the main benefit of the hypnobirthing as far as I'm concerned is to make you feel calm and relaxed and not worried, so even if you end up having interventions, it's not a scary experience.

That's not really what you asked, but I just thought you would benefit from it as you sound anxious (which I was, massively, before my first child's birth, which ended up being a lovely experience despite ending with an episiotomy and ventouse, it was all lovely and calm and nice).

I know every experience is different, and there's no way to tell what will happen in advance, but my experience of a C-section (second child) was much worse... you say you're worried about pain - they don't bloody give you anything for the pain these days after a C-section, just piddly bloody paracetamol and ibuprofen, which does nothing, so the pain during recovery was horrific, and so much harder to deal with than labour pain. So my advice would be to ask NOW what different pain medications they have for C-section mothers, whether you decide to ask for an elective c-section or not, just in case, and try and find out if/how you could go about demanding something stronger if needed for post-op.

Well yes. That's why I used the word "could" and put "i was" in brackets. I thought that made it clear that GA wasn't always used in emergencies. If you had an epidural that's working you are usually awake, if you haven't then it's GA.

I've had three births, two completely natural. My first labour I was induced and took morphine and epidural. My DS came out so sleepy and didn't latch for days and had to end up being cup fed because he was drowsy. The guilt ate me up so I went for natural births the next two times. I had water births which helped with the pain a lot. Practised breathing techniques and breathed through the contractions.
Yes it hurts, it really really hurts. But you have to give in and let your body so what it's made to do, do not panic. I wish I never had the epidural now because my back has never been the same and I know many women who say the same thing.

Oh and I meant to say that, for me, paracetamol and ibuprofen did the job great. Pain wasn't an issue for me after the section.

I had a planned CS for my second. Much quicker recovery than my horrendous VB. My VB was like a car crash and that impacted my milk supply. I had complications that none of the books I read mentioned, my pelvic floor was destroyed, I've had one surgery, but will need more in the future.

There isn't a form of birth that is without risk. I'd look at the long term as well as the short term risks.

@applestrudels It must vary loads. I was offered morphine and another opiate after my c section. I actually didn't need them but good to have the option. OP definitely know if you do have one you are entitled to stronger pain relief.

I had an emergency c section with my second. It was what I had dreaded more than anything. I was terrified of the possibility of both an epidural and a c section.
The reality was that my section, although scary whilst being blue lighted to hospital, was miles away from what I’d imagined. Genuinely.
The nurses were incredible, the atmosphere in the operating room was calm, the staff were reassuring and evidently very in control and unphased. They listened to eveything we cwanted regarding immediate skin to skin contact with my son, being able to bf as soon as possible after the birth and we had some great music. It was a much more peaceful and joyful experience than the natural birth of my first. And my second born and I were safe.

Please try not to worry (easy for me to say I know)

I would rather repeat my unmedicated vaginal birth with episiotomy and ventouse five times a year every year for the rest of my life than ever have another c-section, due to how painful the recovery was, and how incapacitated I was during recovery. The natural birth recovery was very quick and painless.